Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

Hi,

I've just got a Fido Pulse plan recently, bringing my own device, an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 purchased directly from Samsung. I chose Fido mainly because of VoLTE and Wifi Calling. I installed the lastest Fido firmware on my phone to make sure there is no compatibility problem with the network. The CSC code of my phone (in the settings menu) is FMC, which is the Fido one. VoLTE and Wifi Calling options are present in the settings.

When I enable VoLTE, calls still fall back on the HSPA+ network. For the Wifi Calling, when I click the link to configure the address, I receive the verification code but it tells my phone seems incompatible and to contact the Fido support.

Fido/Rogers, this is a real shame. My phone is indistinguishable from a Fido one and is fully compatible. Well, the only difference is that you didn't get the money...

It doesn't work because you don't allow non-Fido purchased phone based on their IMEI to register on these networks, for no reason. Some people had luck and customer support were able to add their IMEI in the database to get it work, but a lot, including me, don't. I had this luck with an unlocked iPhone 6 with Rogers (after "fighting" with the customer support for over 2 weeks), but this time, it's been a while I ask them but they say they're unable to do it, that the technical support will call me back in 24h-48h but they never call back or that they're unable to join them. There is no technical problem here, it is just an anti-consumer practice.

So I post this here for everyone to see and for people who might consider to bring their device to Fido to be warned about this (even though there are a lot of other post about this), and for you to see their real face, they're just greedy. To get $50+ for a few Gb isn't enough, they want you to buy the same phone you have from them.

And maybe a representent from Fido can help me to get the technical support to contact me to fix this problem before I give up?

What you, Fido/Rogers, seem to forget, is that people who bring their own devices do not have any contract, they can leave whenever they want. And as the CRTC ban the anti-consumer practice of locking cellphones and unlocking fees, people will be able to move between carriers freely, and it will be a real mess for you.

We are a lot in that case, you're going to lose a lot of clients. And don't forget you're not only in competition with other carriers but also with all VOIP services we have now, from Whatsapp to VOIP.ms

P.S. VoLTE and Wifi calling are no more "future technologies", they are today's technologies. LTE is the main network now, almost everybody use it, and you still prevent us to call on this network. As for Wifi Calling, it is important for people who live in basement or in the country side with a poor network quality. It also relieve the towers as there will be less network trafic.

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

Thanks for your feedback @quenting96 . I hear where you are coming from, a lot of our users have unlocked phones and would like to benefit from this feature and it's definitely feedback that I'll be forwarding.

At this moment unless the device was directly purchased from Fido it's not possible to make this happen, it is however possible with iPhones as you pointed out. I know this is not new information to you and it definitely looks like you tried to do everything on your end to make it work.

As I said for now I'll forward your feedback and if anything changes I'll be happy to let you know!

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

No, that's not what I said. I mean that the phone isn't from Fido (which cause the problem with the IMEI). It's the unlocked version bought directly from Samsung. After I inserted the SIM card, the phone rebooted into the "Fido version" of the software, with the two apps from Fido, the VoLTE and WiFi calling options (a popup message even said that my phone is WiFi calling compatible after the first boot) In the "About my phone" section, the "service provider software" I indicate "FMC" which is Fido software.

So hardware and software speaking, the phone is exactly the same as one bought from you. However it doesn't work because the IMEI is not in your system. The customer support told me the IMEI show as a non-Fido phone (the same happened with my iPhone).

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

Let me summarize:

The only thing I need for it to work is Fido to register my IMEI in their system. It is the case for a lot of unlocked phones. It need to be done manually by you. Rogers done it before for my iPhone and for a lot of people with this problem. So it is possible. When I go into "About the phone" --> "Status", under "IMS registration" is says "Not registered", which mean the IMEI is not in your system. It's the only thing preventing VoLTE and Wifi Calling to work.

I had several agents on the phone at the customer support and none of them was able to do it for obscure reasons. Some asked me my IMEI and tried but then said it doesn't work because it's not a fido phone (obviously, that's the point). An agent told me he asked someone superior in the hierarchy who told him they are not allowed to do it (which confirm they can but won't) and the level 2 technical support which an agent finally was able to talk to told him that if they are unable to add the IMEI to my account, then there is nothing they can do because there is no procedure in this case for my phone. He told me that there is a procedure for iPhone, so they can escalate the ticket to level 2, which then manage to add the IMEI, but not for my phone. So in my case, they can't escalate the ticket. So there is nothing to do by lack of procedure. The guy even told me that this is a know problem

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

Thanks for your feedback @quenting96 . I hear where you are coming from, a lot of our users have unlocked phones and would like to benefit from this feature and it's definitely feedback that I'll be forwarding.

At this moment unless the device was directly purchased from Fido it's not possible to make this happen, it is however possible with iPhones as you pointed out. I know this is not new information to you and it definitely looks like you tried to do everything on your end to make it work.

As I said for now I'll forward your feedback and if anything changes I'll be happy to let you know!

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

Just as a heads up to those reading this post, there will not be a follow up. Not one that brings about any positive result anyways. Unlocked phones and Fido go together like oil and water, and the experience is about as pleasant as an oil spill too! For further evidence check out how they did the roll out of enhanced features in Anroid Messages -otherwise known as RCS messaging. Many times when there is an issue there are a few obligatory messages saying there'll be a follow up to a complaint or issue, delaying until people get frustrated and stop upping the post. It is more profitable for Fido to want to sell Fido phones to Fido customers who use standard Fido plans that lock them in for a longer term with penalities if they switch and cost the (exorbitant) market rate. If I had to guess, they accept people who bring their own devices because it is better to get some amount in monthly payments from someone than monthly payments going to a competitor. Go figure. Speaking for myself I would appreciate a curt answer of you are getting what you pay for Mr BYOD plan, than the "who knows what's going on", or "we hope to address that at some later date", or the "forward it on" statements. Harsh but true always is best.

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

I can understand why you feel this way, we do our best to keep everyone posted as soon as we have updates. The one thing we do though is forward this type of feedback and that's why it's important to share it especially on the community. We want to hear what you have to say and we're always looking for ways to improve our services.

While you might feel like you're not heard, I assure you that you are!

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

my friend's Note 8 bought from Samsung directly worked somehow

my pixel XL directly from Google doesn't

really makes no sense since it's running the same stuff as the one sold by Fido

if i take my current phone and go to the states and put in a TMobile SIM in it will figure out that the phone works with VoLTE and WiFi calling and allows me to use the feature and I don't know why Fido can't do the same

why does Fido even bother with BYOP plans if Fido doesn't allow the phones you bring to full use their network that we're paying for? Pretty sure this is just an excuse for Fido to sell phones themselves by having a whitelist of all IMEI that are allowed to use VoLTE and WiFi calling

Re: Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

Thanks for answering this question, however the information you have provided is very much incorrect.

You said: "At this moment unless the device was directly purchased from Fido it's not possible to make this happen"

The fact remains that it is fully possible, and in fact already works, if you have loaded the Fido firmware for your device, everything that is neccesary to make it work exists on your device, and it will work, except for one key detail.

That detail is, the system (Rogers/Fido) is automatically deprovisioing VoLTE services from your account as soon as a non Fido/Rogers device is deteced.

We can prove that it works on an unbranded device and that it is entirely rogers/fido deprovisioning the account:

I place a VoLTE call, I stay on the LTE network and the call completes as normal.

I move my sim card over to my unlocked Exynos based samsung Note 8... VoLTE works fine. I can make and recieve calls with much greater clarity.

Settings > about > IMS status = `registered`

In Dialer hit *#77467# to load IMS settings, and can cleary see it has loaded the provfile "RWC VoLTE"

15mins later (or some random time.. my imei is send back to rogers and the system detects my device is not a Rogers device) ims services are no longer provisioned to my account and VoLTE stops working

I put my sim card back in my rogers branded device, within 30 mins the system will reprovision VoLTE.

I have started a complaint with the CRTC that has been accepted as a complaint that falls within their scope.. I am very interested to see what Rogers will do to rectify this one, as I have spoke to multiple managers, who tell me the system would need to be redesigned to allow non rogers devices on it *EYEROLL* which is just rediculous and highly unlikely, they just need to whitelist my IP or force provision VoLTE to my account.

Rogers and fido are in direct violation of the CRTC's code by restricting access to services based on the origins of the device, as this creates another barrier to customers to switch their WSP, much like unlocking, which was found to be in violation and is now outlawed in the new code effective dec 2017